Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court has directed the state medical and health department to immediately strengthen medical facilities at the Sessions Court Complex in Jodhpur, which sees around 1,500-2,000 lawyers and more than 3,000 litigants and their family members regularly.Justice Anoop Dhand at the Principal Seat, Jodhpur, Thursday, directed the principal secretary and director of the medical and health department to immediately deploy one medical officer, two Grade-II nursing staff, one pharmacist, one laboratory technician, two ward boys and one sweeper at the complex.The directions came while hearing a petition filed by Rajasthan High Court Advocates Association over inadequate medical facilities.The court observed that the right to health and access to basic medical facilities is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution and that the state has an obligation to provide immediate medical care to citizens.The court was informed that the Sessions Court Complex houses around 60 courts and more than 600 court staff members, but its existing Janta Clinic/govt dispensary has only one family health worker and one fourth-class employee against a sanctioned strength of nine medical and paramedical personnel.The petitioner-association submitted that the absence of a doctor, nursing staff, pharmacist, laboratory technician and ward boys was causing difficulties for lawyers, litigants, judicial officers and court employees, particularly during medical emergencies.The issue gained significance after the court was informed that lawyer Jeewan Ram Choudhary died at the Sessions Court Complex following a sudden heart attack, allegedly in the absence of medical staff and basic emergency facilities such as CPR.“The lawyers, litigants, court staff and presiding officers together form the four essential pillars of the judicial system,” the court observed, and said the complex lacked adequate medical staff, infrastructure, medicines and an ambulance.The court directed the department to deploy an ambulance at the complex for medical emergencies involving lawyers, litigants, court staff, judicial officers and members of the public visiting the premises.It also directed District and Sessions Judge, Jodhpur Metropolitan, to establish a regular monitoring mechanism to ensure that the medical facility meets basic requirements.The court further stressed that the medical unit should have essential life-saving medicines, oxygen, wheelchairs, stretchers and diagnostic equipment, including blood sugar and blood pressure monitors and an ECG facility, besides access to emergency transportation.
